Just You and Me
by Ultrawoman
Summary: Part of the 'Just Us' series. AU 6.4 Flooded Spike and Buffy on the steps of the back porch. A sweet Spuffy moment.


A/N : Short sweet Spuffyness for 6.4 Flooded.  
_(Disclaimer : Joss still owns all the good BtVS related stuff, the stolen lines from Flooded were written by Doug Petrie)_

Just You and Me

A cigarette butt lands on the back porch at Buffy's feet. She looks down, and shifts her heel to grind it out.

"Hello, Spike" she says without looking up and he stares at her from a little way across the lawn.

"Y'know Watcher boy doesn't mean anything by it" he tells her, head tilted towards the kitchen where Giles and Willow fight on about the Slayers resurrection. She sighs as he comes towards her and steps up onto the first stair.

"I guess" she sighs, "it's just... I know they all care, but they care so much, it makes it all harder"

"I'm not sure I followed you 'round that bend, luv" Spike frowns as he takes the next step up onto the porch beside her.

"I don't know" she sighs once again, still not really looking at him yet, "I just, I feel like I'm spending all of my time trying to be okay, so they don't worry. It's exhausting, and then..."

"That makes 'em worry even more" Spike guesses, and from the look she gives him he knows he's right, even though she doesn't say a word. He stands beside her and follows her gaze across the yard to some blank space that doesn't even matter.

"You want me to take them out?" he offers, apparently only half joking, "Give me a hell of a headache, but I could probably thin the herd a little" he says with a look as she glances at him, a slight smile playing at her lips.

"Knew I could get a grin" he smirks, so proud of himself as they exchange a look and wordlessly sit down together on the steps.

"Why are you always around when I'm miserable?" Buffy asks, recalling a least one other occasion when she and Spike had sat like this, the night she found out her mother might be ill. Memories of Joyce's passing upsets her more than she'd like and she doesn't really hear Spike answer her question as tears overcome her.

"Hey now, what's this about?" he asks her when he hears her sobbing and smells the salt water on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry" Buffy shakes her head as she wipes her tears away, "I..I was just remembering is all, the last time we were out here... My Mom" she says, looking at him with big innocent eyes, too full of pain and suffering for one so young.

"Oh luv, I'm sorry" Spike says sympathetically, his expression turning to surprise as she leans into him a little. His arm goes instinctively around her and holds her close as she cries a while longer.

"Life's not bleedin' fair, is it?" he says almost to himself, "Bad stuff happenin' to good people"

Buffy lets out a painful laugh at that.

"Good people" she echoes, "Is that what I am, a good person?" she sniffs as she pulls her head up from his shoulder and looks at him.

"Can't think of anyone more worthy of the title, pet" Spike tells her gently and she shakes her head.

"You don't know me" she says, looking away, "You think you do but you don't..."

"I know enough" Spike interrupts, and though she lets him talk she doesn't look at him yet, "I know you're like no other woman I ever met, and that whatever happens... I will always love you"

Buffy smiles slightly as she slowly turns her head and looks at him.

"Even now? When I look and feel like a wreck?" she asks him, not really expecting an answer.

"Especially now" comes his answer as definite as could be as their eyes meet once again, "I know you're hurting" he says as he dares to put a hand to her face, "I only wish I could say or do something to make it better, but I've got nothing, Slayer, just myself and what I feel for you" he sighs sadly, "Still, you got any ideas on how I can help then you tell me, I'll do it."

"I know" she nods, unable to fully comprehend just how much he really must love her to say these things, to be here now after all the times she's told him to go away and die, "and I wish I knew how you could help me" she tells him softly, "Right now I just... I think this is good" she nods, "I feel like I can talk to you" she realises, "Pretty much just you actually, nobody else"

"Works out pretty nicely for me then" Spike smirks, "Anything you need, Slayer, just say the word it's done"

She shifts awkwardly, the expression on her face telling him she's struggling with something. When she finally speaks she can't look at him.

"Could you just... Would you hold me for a while?" she asks, eyes down the whole time, until she can't take the silence anymore and glances up in the hopes he will just answer her already.

"Course, pet" he smiles as he opens his arms to her and pulls her close.

Spike is certain Buffy has no idea what it really means to him to have her trusting him like this, just letting him hold her and comfort her like he wants to. It might not be a declaration of love or anything, but at least she believes he loves her and she wants him around. That's enough for now.

"I wish it was always like this" she says softly, so he barely hears her, "It's easier, less Hellsville, when it's just you and me and the night" she sighs.

Spike just holds her tighter and kisses the top of her head, agreeing with her whole-heartedly.

"Seems like heaven to me, luv"

The End


End file.
